SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/30/2017
8:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “The Mission”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 1:8b
Message of the
verse: “you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part
of the earth.”
We have learned that Jesus did not answer the question as
to when He would return to gather His church and begin His kingdom on earth and
I think this goes along with one of the parables that He taught where we read "But
be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief
was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into (Luke 12:39).” Now I am not comparing believers to thieves
but what I am saying that if the church (called out ones) knew the exact hour
that our Lord would return then I think it would make a difference as to how
they live their lives. In my prayer list
I try to put on the spiritual armor each morning and one of the pieces of the
armor is what Paul calls in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 “the helmet of the hope of
salvation,” and when I am putting this on I will ask the Lord for my actions in
my life to be like the Lord is returning today, for indeed that is my hope.
Now since Jesus did not answer this question He goes on
to the important thing that He wants to mention and as we look at this last
half of verse eight we have a pretty good outline for the book of Acts and that
is begin taking the gospel to Jerusalem, then move to Judah, and to Samaria,
and then to the remote parts of the world.
The book of Acts begins in Jerusalem, then moves onto Judah then to
Samaria, and finally ends up in Rome.
Today the gospel is preached in all the countries of the world, however
the Bible is not yet written in every known language of the world, but that
will happen if the Lord tarries in the next 30-40 years, or perhaps sooner.
I want to look at what the word “witnesses or witness” as
John MacArthur writes. “I once witnessed
an attempted murder. When I testified in
court, they wanted to know three things:
what I saw, heard, and felt. I
was reminded of 1 John 1:1-2, where John writes, ‘1 What was from the
beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have
looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life… and we have
seen and testify and proclaim to you.’ A witness for Jesus Christ is simply
someone who tells the truth about Him.
The apostles, as Peter points out, ‘were eyewitness of His majesty’ (2
Peter 1:16).”
Jesus proclaims the following in the Great Commission
found in Matthew 28:19-20 “19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.’”
John MacArthur writes “So many Christians sealed their
witness to Christ with their blood that matures
(‘witnesses’) came to mean ‘martyrs.’
Their blood, as the second-century theologian Tertullian stated, became
the seed of the church. Many were drawn
to faith in Christ by observing how calmly and joyously Christians met their
deaths.”
The truth of Christians being a witness for Jesus Christ
is that all believers are witnesses for Him, and the only question is how
effective their witness is. If we, the
body of Christ, are to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ we must do what
Peter speaks of in 1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an
account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” I had a friend who is now with the Lord who
wrote a book, and in that book were pictures that he took around the world as
he was a great photographer and won many awards for his pictures. He signed the book that I bought from him
with his name and under that name he wrote “1 Peter 3:15.” You see this man was a great witness for
Jesus Christ as he use to go into prisons to talk to inmates and led many
inmates to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
I have to say that I miss my friend Ron as even though I did not know him
for long he was a great friend and a great witness for our Lord.
If we as believers are to be effective witnesses then
people around us have must know that we are different and that the Lord has
changed our lives so that we desire to bring glory to His name. We have to remember that this world is not
our home that we are just passing through, and that are true home is in heaven
where we will live with Christ forever, but now we are His ambassadors who
represent our Lord.
MacArthur concludes this section by writing “This
beginning was to dramatically alter the course of history, and the spread of
the gospel message has continued past Acts to reach all the earth. Today believers continue to have the
responsibility for being Christ’s witnesses throughout this world. The sphere for witnessing is as extensive as
the kingdom—all the world. That was and
is the mission for the church until Jesus comes.” I have to say that that is one of the
purposes for these Spiritual Diaries that go onto my blog sites. My desire is to bring glory to my Lord Jesus
Christ by having souls saved, believers grow and revival given to those
believers who are in need of it.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I realize that when
the Holy Spirit began the church age that He gave special gifts to the
apostles, and that as a believer in the 21st century it is my desire
to live my life in a way that the Spirit of God will fill me with what I need
to do the work that He planned for my life in eternity past.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord to give me the lesson that I
am will teach this upcoming Sunday in Sunday school. The subject of Judas is a difficult subject
to handle and therefore I desire that the Lord will give me the right preparation
in order to teach this class in a way that will bring glory to His name.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Pilate” (Matthew 27:19).
Today’s Bible
question: “How many parables does the Gospel
of Mark record?”
Answer in our next SD.
6/30/2017 9:39 AM
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